Operation Swift Blow

Operation Swift Blow (28 July 2006) was a US Marine Corps operation of the Iraq War that occurred in the city of Karbala, Iraq. A force of Marines fought to clear the city of the Iraqi insurgents, who had put up stiff resistance against the MNF-I coalition forces; the battle resulted in an insurgent victory, with the insurgents holding onto the main street from American attacks.

History
The city of Karbala in Karbala Governorate, Iraq was a holy city of Shia Islam, and it rivaled the city of Mecca as a pilgrimage location. However, Sunni Muslim forces fought in an insurgency against the Shi'ite and Kurdish-led government of Iraq and the United States-led MNF-I coalition forces. The US Marine Corps was deployed to eradicate the insurgent presence in the city, and they engaged the insurgents in intense urban warfare on the streets, with much of the fighting occurring along a commercial street that the insurgents occupied. The Iraqis were able to hold onto their positions against the Americans, who were forced to climb some stairs to attack the street, which was crawling with insurgents. The operation resulted in an insurgent victory, with the Americans being unable to secure the street.